Canaccord Genuity Expands Australian Operation With Appointment of Life Sciences Team

MELBOURNE, 24 October 2012 -- International investment bank Canaccord Genuity has expanded its Australian operations with the addition of a high profile life sciences team.

Corporate banker Daniel Sharp and senior analyst Dr. Matthijs Smith, formerly of Shaw Stockbroking, have recently been recruited to and commenced work with the firm. They are two of the most experienced and successful professionals in Australia’s life sciences sector, having worked on IPOs, secondary capital raising and general corporate advisory mandates with many leading ASX-listed companies including Cellestis (acquired by Qiagen), Mesoblast, Starpharma, Nanosonics, Peplin (acquired by Leo Pharma), Evogenix (acquired by Cephalon) and, Osprey Medical.

Mr. Sharp also has extensive experience outside of life sciences, having successfully managed dozens of IPOs and secondary capital raisings across many different sectors including industrials, financial services, resources, information technologies and services.

Canaccord is one of the leading life sciences banks in North America. The addition of life sciences coverage to its Australian operations, which has already established its strength in resources and industrials, is a natural progression of the company’s expansion. In North America, Canaccord has eight life sciences analysts covering more than 100 companies and a dedicated life sciences banking team covering med tech, diagnostics, biotech and specialty pharmaceuticals. Over the past year, the company has hosted four Life Sciences conferences including its annual Canaccord Genuity Global Growth Conference in Boston, which had approximately 500 presenting companies and was attended by nearly 600 Institutional Investors.

Jeff Barlow, Head of US Investment Banking and Canaccord’s US Life Sciences Group said: “In the US, Canaccord has raised in excess of US$550 million for med-tech and life sciences companies since 2008, making it one of the leading technology specialist investment banks globally.”

“In addition, Canaccord Genuity has worked on a number of highly successful transactions involving Australian listed companies, including the ChemGenex acquisition by Cephalon, several capital raisings for Heartware and, most recently, raising over $20 million for Sunshine Heart. Extending our capabilities to the Australian and South East Asian market was a natural progression and we are pleased to welcome Matthijs and Daniel to the team.”

Canaccord Genuity is undergoing rapid expansion in Australia under the leadership of Australian Managing Director Marcus Freeman at a time when many of the larger broking firms are consolidating and downsizing.

“With our strong global network of institutional investors and our local specialist teams across multiple industries, Canaccord Genuity is well positioned for continued growth and expansion. We are already seeing the effectiveness of our strong international network in creating significant value for both our corporate and institutional clients in Australia. The addition of this highly regarded life sciences team allows us to leverage the firm’s vast overseas life sciences capabilities and capitalise on local support for Australia’s innovative industries,” stated Mr. Freeman.

About Canaccord Genuity:

Canaccord Genuity is the global capital markets division of Canaccord Financial Inc. (TSX: CF, LSE: CF.), offering institutional and corporate clients idea-driven investment banking, merger and acquisition, research, sales and trading services from offices in 10 countries worldwide. Our team of nearly 1,000 capital markets and advisory professionals has industry and transactional expertise in 18 key sectors of the global economy. We are committed to providing valued services to our clients throughout the entire lifecycle of their business and operating as a gold standard independent investment bank – expansive in resources and reach, but targeted in industry expertise, market focus and individual client attention.

More information is available at: www.canaccordgenuity.com

About Canaccord Financial Inc.:

Through its principal subsidiaries, Canaccord Financial Inc. is a leading independent, full-service financial services firm, with operations in two principal segments of the securities industry: wealth management and global capital markets. Since its establishment in 1950, Canaccord has been driven by an unwavering commitment to building lasting client relationships. We achieve this by generating value for our individual, institutional and corporate clients through comprehensive investment solutions, brokerage services and investment banking services. Canaccord has offices in 12 countries worldwide, including Wealth Management offices located in Canada, Australia, the UK and Europe. Canaccord Genuity, the international capital markets division, operates in Canada, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Barbados.

Canaccord Financial Inc. is publicly traded under the symbol CF on the TSX and the symbol CF. on the London Stock Exchange.